Internationalization in English? Problematizing the role of language in higher education internationalization

Abstract

This chapter discusses the relationship between language and internationalization in higher education. We begin by outlining the ideological nature of internationalization since World War II. We then continue to discuss language in higher education, focusing particularly on English as the unproblematized language of internationalization. We conclude by suggesting that if indeed an equitable, societally beneficial, and high quality education for all remains the goal of higher education and thereby internationalization, it needs to be embedded in a larger process of developing and implementing anti-normative, anti-colonial pedagogies and practices.